Week 242: Italian Wedding Soup

Happy Thursday!

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I thought I would recreate the popular menu from last year's Valentine's Day.

On the menu for TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13th is ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP and ROSEMARY FOCACCIA. Italian Wedding Soup gets its name from the Italian phrase "minestra maritata" ("married soup"), which refers to the tasty flavor produced by the combination or "marriage" of the greens and the meat.

This rich chicken soup is filled with lots of good things - fresh spinach, creamy pasta and plenty of those delicious meatballs. The soup begins with browning the meatballs in the oven to intensify their flavor. The meatballs are made with ground turkey, Italian sausage, breadcrumbs, garlic, fresh parsley, milk, and egg.

Meanwhile, onions, carrots and celery are sautéed in the pot. Once the veggies are soft, homemade chicken stock, white wine and orzo pasta are dropped in. After the pasta is cooked, fresh spinach, dill and lemon zest finish off the soup.

The bread companion this week is my ROSEMARY FOCACCIA. It's crisp on the outside yet soft and chewy on the inside. Extra-virgin olive oil gives the bread texture and flavor while fresh rosemary and flaked sea salt add the finishing touches to make this bread unbelievably delicious. This bread is a perfect choice for this Italian soup!